FAYETTEVILLE - In this bombastically braggadocio look at me world of social media and twits that tweet, any appropriately understated exhibition of class and decorum deserves exalting.
So here's to the Arkansas Razorbacks most recent former head basketball coach and the coach replacing him. Mike Anderson and Eric Musselman blending their subordinate roles into last Sunday's unveiling of Walton Arena's Nolan Richardson Court merits a toast.
Richardson, Arkansas' winningest basketball coach with a 389-169 record during his 1985-2002 tenure, including three Final Fours and the UA's lone basketball national championship, was finally honored with Sunday's naming of Walton Arena's floor as Nolan Richardson Court.
Anderson, Richardson's point guard when his Tulsa Golden Hurricane won the NIT and his assistant for all of Richardson's 17 Arkansas seasons, gave up coaching a potentially Final Four Missouri Tigers team in 2011-2012 becoming Arkansas' third head basketball coach since the acrimonious but since mended Richardson firing in March, 2002.
Anderson coached Arkansas for eight years, many good ones. Just never so good as the Richardson era and not good enough to suit then second-year Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek.
Anderson handled his firing with quiet dignity. He was quickly hired by traditional Big East power St. John's.
Whatever wounds Anderson may have felt from his Arkansas firing he never revealed. They weren't going to keep him from honoring his mentor. So he was among the estimated 40 former Richardson players and assistants walking behind their coach on the court where Nolan was honored.
Of course Anderson stood out to the crowd. They always liked Mike even if perhaps not always appreciating the results despite him never suffering a losing season in 17 years coaching Alabama-Birmingham, Missouri and Arkansas. So Sunday Mike received a spontaneous ovation rivaling the introduction of Nolan himself.
Mike acknowledged the ovation almost imperceptibly then blended into the 40 returned honoring the coach of "40 Minutes of Hell."
This was Nolan's day. Mike had come to show for his coach not be the show.
"I wish I could be more like him," the mentor said of his protege. "But we all are who we are."
Richardson succeeded on a fiercely large presence.
Anderson succeeds on his even-keel calmness disguising an intensity that Richardson said was as competitive as any player he ever coached.
Meanwhile, with Sunday's 79-64 exhibition victory over the University of Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans, Eric Musselman made his Razorbacks coaching debut.
Normally that would be a day all about him and his team. He knew it wasn't and acted accordingly.
"I just kind of stood back and watched and was just appreciative that the student-athletes and our staff were a small part of it," Musselman said, noting how "great" Richardson has been to him upon his Arkansas arrival.
"Coach Richardson is a legendary coach," Musselman said. "Obviously with coach Anderson I think it was awesome that he and his wife (Marcheita) were able to come back and participate in the event."
All deserve the accolades received.
Sports on 10/23/2019